Ebbie, from observation it seems to me that Americans are generally less liberal with sweary words than British people are - and indeed you opt for more formal politenesses with strangers than British people find customary.

I can't speak for other British or English women as I've always been a bit of a rebel (hehe! yeah right) but for my own part (unless being sworn *at* in an actively aggressive fashion) I take sweary words quite lightly. I swear casually myself too, though I'm not a big 'cunt' fan either TBH (and I'd disagree with MtheGM that it's equal in stregth to 'Turd', which one would use in most company!), it's not something that distresses me.

Otherwise, I think there is a 'cultural divide' going on here. One which the American community appear to be having increasing difficulty with. For my own part, I feel that Max's (however "displeased" he states he currently is with his experiment) 'anarchy' is fulfilling itself in a fairly good way. Individuals are free here to express themselves without being *too* oppressed.